“Food is never just food. It is livelihoods, dignity and resilience, if we protect its value.” In a country where food insecurity, economic collapse and repeated shocks have reshaped everyday life, protecting the value of what farmers grow has never been more urgent. Lebanon is facing one of the deepest socioeconomic crises in its modern history, marked by soaring poverty and unemployment, currency collapse, inflation and growing dependence on food imports. These pressures were compounded by the destruction of the Port of Beirut grain silos in 2020 and, more recently, by escalating hostilities since late 2023 that disrupted agricultural production, access to land and local markets, particularly in the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel regions.
For smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of Lebanon’s agricultural sector, the crisis is felt most sharply after harvest. High production costs, climate variability, weak infrastructure and limited market access mean that a significant share of fruits and vegetables is sold at very low prices, or lost altogether. Regional evidence shows that post-harvest losses in fruit and vegetable value chains across the Middle East and North Africa range between 20–30%, largely due to inadequate sorting, storage, packaging and marketing systems. These losses directly erode farmers’ incomes, reduce local food availability and deepen vulnerability, especially among women-led and low-income farming households.
In response, The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) has developed the Agricultural Aggregator, a practical, market-oriented solution designed to close the gap between production and markets. Building on the Baalbek Community Farm, the aggregator functions as a centralized post-harvest service center that connects vulnerable farmers to buyers while embedding sustainability, quality and inclusion at its core. The aggregator is equipped with essential infrastructure for effective post-harvest handling: sorting and grading tables, weighing and packaging equipment, cold and dry storage, crates and boxes, labeling tools and quality-control systems. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), such infrastructure is critical to reducing food losses, ensuring food safety and enabling smallholder farmers to access higher-value and more stable markets.
Rather than addressing challenges in isolation, the Agricultural Aggregator offers end-to-end services under one coordinated system. Farmers deliver their produce, fruits, vegetables and honey, to the aggregator, where it is received, sorted, graded, packaged, branded and prepared for sale. Products can be marketed collectively under “Al Qaria” brand or under individual farmers’ own brands, ensuring both economies of scale and farmer ownership. Marketing takes place through multiple channels: the Community Farm’s agri-shop and restaurant, the food processing unit and external markets such as MSMEs, restaurants and supermarkets. Throughout the process, traceability and quality control are systematically applied, strengthening buyer confidence and market reputation.
A defining added value of the aggregator is its food processing unit, designed as both a value-addition platform and a livelihood generator, particularly for women. The unit employs women from surrounding vulnerable communities as paid labor, engaging them in cleaning, cutting, drying, cooking, packaging, labeling and quality control. In parallel, women are supported to develop their own value-added products using the same facilities and to market them under their own brand names. This dual approach, combining dignified wage employment with micro-entrepreneurship, directly responds to the severe lack of income-generating opportunities for women in Baalbek-Hermel. Evidence from FAO, IFAD and UN Women consistently shows that women’s participation in agri-food processing generates strong multiplier effects on household food security, income stability and community resilience.
The Agricultural Aggregator is also the backbone of a zero-waste, circular production system. Unsold or surplus produce from shops, restaurants, or markets is returned to the aggregator and redirected either to the food processing unit for transformation into shelf-stable products or to composting. Organic waste is converted into compost and redistributed to participating farmers and to producers supported through LOST’s incubators, reducing input costs and improving soil health. This closed-loop model aligns with global best practices on sustainable food systems and circular economy approaches promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), while strengthening the aggregator’s long-term financial and environmental viability.
Over its initial launching steps, the Agricultural Aggregator is designed to move from pilot to sustainability, covering operational costs through service revenues and reinvesting in expanded equipment and outreach. More than a facility, it is a system: one that reduces losses, increases incomes, empowers women and strengthens local food systems in one of Lebanon’s most fragile contexts.
